Growth and Development Services

Legal name: Growth and Development Services Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133920404
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
South Salem, NY, United States
Phone
917.979.3766
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Zoo, Zoological Society

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$245,297
Expenses
$107,851
Assets
$147,013
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT SCHANZ (PRESIDENT)
  • KEVIN ACEVADO (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • GARY ALTHEIM (FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • GARY ALTHEIM (FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $36,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of Growth and Development Services, Inc. (GDS) is to empower underserved, multi-marginalized youth to make unprecedented life transformations by providing them with the inspiration and means to discover and sustain purpose and pride, in themselves, their families, and in the community. Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Gary Altheim founded Growth and Development Services Inc. on November 8, 1996. His goal was to serve youth who face burdens with regards to mental health, family instability, and violence in their homes and communities. Through multi-faceted and therapeutic programs, Dr. Gary Altheim and his team have proven success in transforming the lives of New York’s inner-city youth. Our Mission The mission of Growth and Development Services, Inc. (GDS) is to empower underserved, multi-marginalized youth to make unprecedented life transformations by providing them with the...

What it reported doing in 2024

The youth engaging seniors (yes) program is an intergenerational program that uses the transformational youth services of gds. Both youth and elders have identified isolation and loneliness as major problems. Our goal is to awaken seniors' joyful memories while expanding youth life skills.in response to the covid-19 pandemic, gds launched leaders for change (lfc), a virtual and safe haven to build connections offering emotional, social, educational, and career readiness support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 44
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 66
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 25.1%; rating input score 25
  • Program expense ratio: 57.1%; rating input score 57
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,606.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 56%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.36; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 33.4%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -14% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 25.1% of revenue deployed · 57.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $62K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $36K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 25/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.